The disclosed subject matter relates to solid-state materials, which can be used, for example, in electronic devices.
Many popular electronic devices such as computers and cellular phones rely on semiconductors made of inorganic silicon, which can require multiple and costly steps to produce. Recently, inorganic-organic hybrid materials have been prepared, which have the potential to exhibit high carrier mobility found in inorganic semiconductors, while maintaining the processing simplicity found in organic synthesis.
The chemistry of molecular clusters is well developed with a wide variation in the size and composition of the clusters that have been synthesized. Despite their ready availability, molecular clusters have seldom been used in electronic materials due to the insulating ligands that typically passivate the exterior of the clusters.
Thus, there is a need for a more readily made material that can be used in electronic devices as an alternative to purely inorganic materials, e.g., silicon.